James won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award that season and emerged as one of the league’s top players. He has made 10 consecutive All-Star Games since 2005. James won his first MVP award in 2009, when he averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. He also won the award in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

In July 2010, James announced that he would leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. James made the Finals in each of his four seasons in Miami and won championships in 2012 and 2013. He was named SI’s Sportsman of the Year in 2012.

“…this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

“In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.